Beet & Fresh Cheese Stacks with Avocado-Lemon Dressing

Leave a comment

I found a recipe for a quick vegan
cheese that I really like. The recipe says it’s a “Pepper
Jack” but it reminds me a lot more of a fresh cheese like queso fresco
or buffalo mozzarella. In any case, I am finding it to be quite versatile and
useful on many dishes, from tacos to this beet salad. You can venture into
making the vegan cheese, which will require some uncommon ingredients if you
aren’t used to vegan baking or cheese making. Or use a favorite cashew
cheese; some spreadable cashew cheeses would work great in between the layers
of beets. Or, if you eat dairy, just use a good, organic dairy cheese
like burrata or buffalo mozzarella.

Read More

Roman Slow Cooker Artichokes

Leave a comment

Every year the artichoke root
system in our garden pops out an abundance of fresh artichokes. For the first
few years this is really fun and rewarding, but after a while, one yearns for
some new ideas and ways to gobble up all those artichokes, without adding a
lot of prep time. This recipe for slow cooker artichokes is super easy,
with just about 15 minutes or less of prep time. Then you just set the
cooker, get on with your day, and return to a crock pot full of tender, moist
artichokes loaded with flavor. Read More

“Raw” Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta

Leave a comment

Okay, I know it is always
amusing when Los Angeles people start complaining about the weather…but, we
DID have a little heat wave the other day, and it was
really hot outside! It
was one of those dog days when you can’t imagine doing anything besides
climbing into a walk-in freezer at a nearby restaurant and locking the door
behind you. This didn’t stop a gorgeous vine ripened tomato from calling out
to me from the garden. Before I knew it I had some fresh salsa cruda with
stunning fragrant basil. To keep it moving in the direction of a minimally
cooked, not heat producing dinner, I decided to whip this up. I have featured
the “raw” portobello before (softened by dehydration at a low
temperature). This is another example of how versatile the “raw”
portobello can be. This is super simple and sure to refresh, and nourish you
on a hot summer day.

Read More

Rainbow Spring Rolls with Almond Sauce

1 Comment

I love it whenever I can take a
yummy favorite and reveal how easily it fits into what may be considered a
stricter, more sober health regimen. Take this variation on the spring roll,
for example. Well, it may not really need pointing out, but this delightful
dish is…(drumroll)…raw!! Tah-dah!! This crowd pleaser, starring a handful
of raw plants, works well for your weekend Saturday lunch, an afternoon tea
party, or as an hors d’oeuvre for your evening get together.

Read More

(better than) Bieler’s Broth

2 Comments

Bieler’s Broth is a traditional healing, cleansing broth that is very popular among holistic and alternative medical professionals. The only bummer thing about Bieler’s Broth is that it doesn’t have much to offer from a culinary perspective. It’s just pretty freakin’ blah as far as I can tell. Since I’m all about making healthy eating not only simple, but also delicious– so that you can enjoy healthful foods the way nature intended– I came up with this modified version.

Read More

“Raw” Portobello Burger with Basil Cashew Cheese

3 Comments

Happy Father’s Day! How about
giving your dad something he probably has never had? This raw, Portobello
mushroom burger is pretty hard to pass up and could end up being the best
gift you could give someone…the gift of better health. Warning, this
“burger” is addictive and can be a transformational experience!
Keep in mind that in order to keep this in it’s raw state, it is actually
dehydrated, and takes 3-4 hours to prepare. But the actual active time to
prepare is short, maybe just 15 minutes. If this sounds too weird to you,
keep an open mind, because the end result is a juicy, dense, flavorful burger
that can stand up to any beef burger. Read More

Pea & Avocado Dip with Pepitas & Cilantro

Leave a comment

Fresh peas are in season! And I’m going to show you a way to enjoy them while making your healthy snacking easier with this pea & avocado dip recipe. Sometimes it can be a challenge finding a healthful dip that is not loaded with empty calories from refined oils, sugars, fillers, or commercial dairy products. This dip is a great solution to this challenge, and it seriously only takes about 10 minutes to make. Due to the lemon juice in the ingredients, it keeps for several days and has a lot of versatility in how it can be used. And, if enjoyed with fresh vegetables, this dip proves to be a very nutrient-dense snack—my favorite kind!

Read More

Eggplant Cannelloni with Mushrooms & Leeks

Leave a comment

Cannelloni, ravioli, manicotti, tortellini…what do these foods have in common besides ending with the letter “i”? Well, it is probably safe to say that they are all loved by many for their cheese-stuffed, pasta goodness. One of my favorite reasons for blogging on here is to discover healthier, less toxic versions of this kind of stuff. With that said, I am loving this cannelloni creation that has been evolving in my kitchen. It delivers a rich, comfort food experience without any of the bad stuff. And, it is great the next day, even cold! I know this because I left it sitting on the stove one cold winter night, and the next morning it was devoured before I could wrap it and put it into the refrigerator! The sunflower seeds give this dish enough clean protein to replace any meat or dairy version, and the mushrooms don’t need any nutrition hype to make their healthy introduction. In other words, this would make a great entrée whenever you have that urge for a comfort food whatever…ending in “i”! Read More